A Promise Is A Promise
by CTMfan-13
Summary: Patrick learns a lesson


"But Daddy, why can't I just come with you?" she whined for the third time since they'd got in the car.

"Angel, you know you can't come with me on a call. I don't know how long I'll be and you can't sit in the car on your own."

"But Timmy did! He told me you always took him with you!"

"I didn't have a choice, sweetheart. Not back then." Patrick sighed as he glanced at his daughter. "Now, I'm going to drop you off with Mummy and then when you wake up tomorrow, we can spend the day together. I promise."

The six year old huffed, upset that her Friday evening alone with her father had been interrupted. Her brother was out on a Scout trip for the weekend and her mother had gone to Nonnatus House for Compline to give father and daughter some alone time.

"Mummy is probably still in the chapel, but she should be done soon. Just wait for her in the parlor if nobody else is there, okay?"

"Yes." The tiny blonde grabbed her teddy bear and book and opened her door.

"Angie?" Patrick leaned over, grabbing her hand. "I promise, tomorrow it's just you and me."

"You said that tonight. Bye Daddy."

Patrick sighed as he watched his daughter walk into the convent. She was annoyed, yes. But similarly to her brother, she wasn't surprised. And that was what made his heart ache.

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Walking into the convent, Angela Turner quickly made her way to the clinical room first to see who was on call. Finding the room empty, she walked up the stairs to head to the parlor but stopped outside the chapel doors as the haunting sounds of plainsong made it's way to her ears.

She sat down on the floor outside the doors and hummed along with the sisters, having learned the psalms from her mother who had sung them to her since she was an infant. After ten minutes the doors opened as the choir sisters began to exit the chapel, followed by Sisters Winifred and Monica Joan, neither of whom noticed her against the wall. Finally, she heard a familiar laugh coupled with an even more familiar accent.

"Angela?"

"Hi Mummy. Hello Sister Julienne." Angela replies, looking up from her place on the floor as Shelagh crouched down to her level.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here? Where's Daddy?"

"The phone rang."

Shelagh sighed, sharing a glance with Sister Julienne. "Did you have your dinner?"

"Yes, but we left before pudding. And Daddy was going to make hot chocolate."

Sister Julienne stepped in then, hating to see her namesake upset. "Well, I have it on very good authority that Sister Monica Joan is in the kitchen as we speak."

Knowing that wherever Sister Monica Joan was, cake was never far away, Angela looked up at her mother for permission. Receiving a nod and a smile, Angela grabbed her things and ran to the kitchen. Waiting until Angela was out of earshot, Shelagh turned to Sister Julienne.

"He was supposed to take the evening off, they haven't had any 'daddy/daughter' time in almost a month. She must be dreadfully disappointed. She's been talking about tonight since last week."

"These things happen, my dear. And you know as well as I do that she will rise above this, and that your husband will make it up to her."

"I know...it worries me, is all."

"What does?"

"That her childhood, their relationship, will be like Timothy's..."

"Shelagh-"

"I...They have a good relationship now, I know. And I know it's not the same. But- she's too young to understand his job, his schedule...she just wants him."

"It's natural to worry, my dear. But you're forgetting one major difference between Timothy and Angela's childhoods...they have you now."

Shelagh smiled sadly, taking a deep breath and schooling her facial expression as they entered the kitchen. Their entrance was just in time to witness Angela crawling under the sink at Sister Monica Joan's insistence before coming out victorious, cake tin in hand.

After a slice each, and politely declining the several offers of having Fred give them a ride back to the flat, Shelagh and Angela set off hand in hand along the streets of Poplar.

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"How was your call?" Shelagh asked softly, sitting up in bed with her latest novel.

"Rather straightforward. You didn't have to wait up for me." He sat down on the edge of the bed, untying his shoes.

"I didn't. I only just finished cleaning up from your dinner and sorting the laundry for tomorrow."

Patrick turned to her, eyes downcast. "How was she?"

"Rather disappointed. She didn't even want to stay up for a hot chocolate when we got home."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to her somehow."

They both went about their own routine to ready themselves for bed: Patrick plumping his pillow several times before laying his head down, Shelagh placing her bookmark in her novel, eyes closed quickly in prayer while her husband sunk down further into the bed, before taking off her glasses and turning out the bedside lamp.

"Goodnight, love."

"Patrick?" He stilled at her tone, knowing the way she spoke wasn't a question, but the beginning of a statement. He didn't respond, merely waiting for her to continue as he turned his head towards her.

"I'm not saying this to upset you...but you're not going to get these days back dearest."

"I know, Shelagh. But-"

"You're busy, I know. We both are. And I know you wouldn't ever turn down a patient in need, but...you can't make promises to your daughter and not pay up. Children may be resilient, but you don't want them to one day be resentful."

Shelagh watched him nod, knowing that deep down he was just as disappointed as Angela that their evening had been cut short. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before settling down on the pillows beside him.

"Goodnight, Patrick. Try and get some rest."

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The next morning, Patrick was up earlier than usual for a Saturday. However, as he turned over in bed, he realized he'd have to wake up much earlier to beat his wife out of bed. He quickly bathed and dressed before making his way to the kitchen for breakfast with his girls, both of whom were outside in the back garden tending to Shelagh's roses.

"Patrick, you're up early!"

"Of course I am. It's a beautiful day...and I have a date today."

Raising her eyebrows, she scoffed at him. "Oh you do, do you? May I ask who with?"

"Angela and I are having a daddy/daughter day, as promised. So you're on your own today, love."

Shelagh smiled, caressing his cheek with her hand as she moved past him to start breakfast and answer the trill of the phone in the hallway. Expecting the call to be from Sister Julienne, she answered with a cheery 'Good morning!' instead of her customary greeting. When the caller introduced themselves, however, Shelagh's heart sank.

Angela, who hadn't been paying much attention to her father's presence until she heard him say her name looked up, a wary smile playing on her lips. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Patrick responded, opening his arms just in time to catch the young girl as she ran to him for a hug.

"Can we go to the zoo?!"

"Of course we can! We'll go right after Mummy makes us breakfast."

At that moment, Shelagh stuck her head outside. "Patrick?" Her tone filled him with dread. "Can you help me for a minute, dear?"

Patrick put his daughter down and followed his wife into the kitchen.

"That was Doctor Hanley's receptionist. It seems he's at the London with a complicated case and can't cover this morning's clinic. Apparently you told him you would cover his shift in an emergency?"

"Damn. I'd completely forgotten."

"Well...be that as it may, clinic starts in half an hour, so you best get a move on."

"Right. I'll just..." he pointed to the backyard as he heard his daughter come inside.

"Mummy, guess what? Daddy's taking me to the zoo!"

Shelagh smiled indulgently at the child, giving her husband a sympathetic glance as he began to speak.

"Angel, Daddy has to-"

Shelagh interrupted him. "Daddy has to work at the clinic this morning. Mummy forgot to tell him that the schedule changed. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Oh...okay."

"But, as soon as I get back we can go out to lunch or something, alright?"

"Darling, why don't you go put on the television while I get our breakfast started? I think your cartoons are on."

Angela nodded, walking into the sitting room as the sounds of the television came to life.

"Shelagh-"

She turned to face her husband. "Patrick, it's better that she thinks this is my fault. Go on- get to clinic." She handed him his medical bag and a piece of toast as he headed towards the front door.

For the rest of the morning, Shelagh did her best to try and raise her daughter's spirits, but nothing worked. It was nearly five o'clock when Patrick finally arrived home exhausted, an entire Saturday lost. Sunday was much the same. A weekly routine of Church, Sunday School for Angela and their weekly dinner at Nonnatus House before Timothy arrived home from his camping excursion and the Turner family ventured home to prepare for another busy week of work and school.

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"Finish your breakfast, sweetheart. We need to get going if you don't want to be late for school." Shelagh called through the hatch as she twisted her hair up in front of the mirror and her husband repacked his bag.

Timothy, old enough to ride the bus on his own for several years, was the only Turner who had made it out of the house on time that morning.

"I'll drive her today, Shelagh. You go on."

"Are you sure?"

"Certainly. Go on, you'll be late to Nonnatus."

"Thank you, Patrick." she kissed her husband quickly, sharing a glance that promised he would receive another thank you that evening. "Have a good day, Angela. Love you." She placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead before leaning down and rubbing their noses together, the customary goodbye between mother and daughter.

"Bye Mummy!"

Angela finished her juice and cleared her plates from the table and placed them into the sink before walking into the sitting room for her backpack.

"Ready when you are, Angel."

"Ready." she replied, following her father out to the car blankly.

Patrick waited until she was settled in the car before starting the engine and setting off across Poplar, stealing a glance at his daughter every few seconds. As they passed Nonnatus House, Angela looked back over at her father confused.

"Daddy? School is back there. You're going the wrong way."

"I know where school is, Angel. I'm not taking you there today."

Angela looked up at him even more confused now. "Then where are we going?"

Patrick smiled, glancing at his daughter out of the corner of his eye. "Well, I believe a certain young lady mentioned something about going to the zoo..."

He didn't need to look over to see the smile on his daughter's face, the excited squeal that came from the passenger side said enough.

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"What do you mean she wasn't there?!" Shelagh yelled, practically dropping the casserole dish she'd just taken out of the oven."

Tim shrugged. "Exactly what I just told you, Mum. I waited outside like I always do and Ange wasn't there. So I went inside to find Miss Dawkins, and she said Angela didn't go to school today."

Shelagh opened her mouth to respond, but the front door slamming shut stopped her train of thought as the sound of giggles made it's way to her ears.

"Angela Julienne Turner, where on Earth have you-" Shelagh stopped short, coming face to face with her husband and daughter, both of whom had bright smiles on their faces.

Disentangling her hand from Patrick, Angela ran to her mother and wrapped her in a hug.

"Mummy! Mummy! We had the best day! Daddy took me to the zoo-"

"The zoo?" Shelagh stared at her husband.

"Uh-huh! And we saw all the animals! And I got to pet some of them! And then we had chips for lunch! And Daddy bought me candy floss!"

"Oh he did, did he?" Shelagh kept her gaze at her husband, raising her eyebrows at him before focusing her attention back to her daughter. "Well, I hope it didn't ruin your appetite because dinner is ready. Go on with Timothy and get washed up."

Angela took her brother's outstretched hand as they walked to the bathroom, proceeding to tell him every detail of her day at the zoo with their father.

Once the children were out of sight, Shelagh wheeled on her husband, arms crossed.

"The zoo?"

"Yes?" Patrick answered, not fully confident that he wasn't in trouble.

"You went skivving off with our six year old on a school day and didn't think to tell me?"

"I didn't know I was doing it until we were nearly there, Shelagh." He shrugged, employing one of his more endearing smiles to help soften the blow.

"So...so you just left the surgery- and your rounds- completely unsupervised for the whole day?!"

"Of course not! I called Jacobs from a phone booth and said I had an emergency so he would cover." He watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other, not speaking. "Are you angry?"

Her steely façade melted in an instant as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him quickly.

"Yes. I'm angry that I wasn't invited!"

Patrick smiled and kissed her again. "Well, maybe one day Mummy and Daddy can skive off while the children are at school...the zoo is quite nice."

"Oh, Patrick we couldn't." She unwound his arms from his neck, moving back towards the kitchen as he sighed. "I've got much better ideas than a trip to the zoo."


End file.
